“To be truthful, Mitch, if the Doc’s using me, she can use me until she uses me up.”
“That’s the kind of thinking I believe will put you in the ground, player. You’re too easy.”
“You betcha’, but don’t think I didn’t notice how I went from some scarred up old guy with banged up ribs to ‘hey Jack, let’s get coffee’ and ’hey Jack, let’s get together for dinner’. I know I didn’t turn into a handsome stud overnight, so either she’s real lonely, or she wants to get a head start on the mission, just like she says, or…”
“…or,” Mitch added, “she jumps into bed with you tonight.”
“And lo and behold, I’m still not a handsome stud,” Jack completed Mitch’s warning.
“Right, my brother,” Mitch replied.
“Have you seen a downside to this so far that I haven’t, Mitch? It still sounds like a classic win-win situation to me.”
“No downside - I just wondered how much thought you had given to your seemingly accidental relationship development with the Doc.”
“I’ve ruined all of you,” Jack said, shaking his head in mock sadness. “Every one of you is a cynical monster. Why do you not believe in animal magnetism, my brother?”
Mitch laughed. “I’m happy you’ve considered all possibilities. How do you plan to handle your date?”
“I’m going to have dinner, make some small talk, and then see which way the Doc takes things. If she knew how cynical my family could be, I probably wouldn’t even get dinner. If she does come on to me like I’m a rock star, three things will be clear.”
“Three things?”
“One: I get laid. Two: I may have my own personal reporter. Three: she will be ruined for all other men forever.”
The brothers enjoyed Jack’s critical breakdown of his Dr. Morrison date for a few light hearted moments.
“You’re all right, Jack. I hope you do get laid tonight.”
“That makes it unanimous; however, I will be a bit disappointed, because she sure would not have come up with it herself, and that fact brings up an infinite number of questions.”
“Nothing will ever be simple, pal. You might as well get used to the old standards: trust no one, and no good deed goes unpunished.”
“Also the fact we won’t know how far she will go, or has been ordered to go, if she decides our operation has strayed from what they had in mind.”
“Hell, let’s just kill her now,” Mitch said sarcastically.
“What, before I get laid?”
Mitch laughed. He saw the kids approaching. They came up on their fathers carefully, with weapons held away just as they had been trained. Wolf circled them, first one way, and then the other. Sarah spoke for the group.
“We’ve had enough outside, Dad. I think even Wolf wants in.”
“Okay,” Jack agreed, as he gave Mitch a final push to the side of his head. “We’re ready too - and wonder of wonders, we get to go into a warm, dry place.”
“Can I talk to you for a moment, Dad,” Sarah asked.
Mitch exchanged glances with Jack, and stepped up the pace. He took point, with Wolf and the others. Jack stopped and waited for his daughter to speak.
“I wanted to apologize for being such a butt-head about you seeing Doctor Morrison.”
“You’re kidding right,” Jack asked in shock. “I raised you to nail me like that. You were hilarious.”
“I thought I hurt you that time. It really didn’t bother you?”
“I guess we have been in the wilderness too long. So long, you thought my sense of humor died, huh? Do you remember the summer you went to camp? You were only eight or nine. I was against you going, because I thought you were too young.”
“When you returned, you insisted your Mom drive you by the shop. I heard a car drive in, and I ducked from under the hood of the car I was working on. I saw you slam out of the car, and run towards me. The tears were streaming down your cheeks, but your face lit up when you saw me. You ran into my arms, and hugged me so tight. When I look at you, honey, I still see that little girl, so glad to see me, and I still feel those little arms around me. Only what brings you pain can hurt me.”
Sarah reached up and carefully hugged Jack around the neck. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too; but if you ever make me blow coffee through my nose again, I will really be mad.”
Sarah laughed as she released him. “I hope your date goes well.”
“It’s a business meeting.”
“Sure it is.” Sarah rolled her eyes, and caught up to the others.
“It’s a business meeting,” Jack repeated to her back.
Chapter 17
The Date
Later, Jack found his way to the mess hall. He had carefully shaved, avoiding the still healing facial scars. He smiled as he thought of Jake's answer to his inquiry of how he looked. Jake had told him he no longer looked like the Frankenstein Monster, but he still resembled one of the mooks in the Godfather.
Jack spotted Dr. Morrison reading a book near the back of the hall. There were only about a dozen people still finishing their dinner, and no one even glanced up as he walked past, and sat across from Dr. Morrison. She looked up from her book, and seemed confused seeing him there. Then she smiled in recognition.
“Hi Jack, I’m glad you could come for dinner.”
“I thought I would have to introduce myself for a second, Doc. That must be a real good book.”
Dr. Morrison looked down at the book, and then at Jack as if gauging a response. “Yes, I have read this book a couple of times. I find something new each time I read it. The author, Thomas Wolf, has been one of my favorite writers for a long time. I think…”
“Wait a minute,” Jack interrupted. “That wouldn’t be ‘Jude The Obscure’, would it?”
“Why yes, are you familiar with the book?”
“Unfortunately, I’m very familiar with it. For some reason, every woman I’ve met, with an interest in literature, always names Thomas Wolf as her favorite writer, and about eighty percent of them mention Jude The Obscure as one of their favorites. It’s become my favorite anecdotal literature story.”
“Did you like the book?”
“My English Professor asked me that once. I told him it was the only book to ever make me want to slash my wrists after I finished it.”
Dr. Morrison laughed. “It gets a little depressing, but Wolf writes so vividly, I tend to overlook the depressing nature of his writing.”
“Oh yes,” Jack agreed with only a hint of sarcasm. “I found his description of bleeding a pig absolutely riveting. Listen Doc, to each his own. I read to be entertained, and not to get depressed. I’ve had to read many of his books in class; and I agree, he writes very well. His male characters tend to get beaten down, and broken by women and life. I guess you can’t get any more real than that.”
“What did you major in at college?”
“I have a BA degree in English, and an AA degree in Auto Technology.”
“You have a degree in English,” Dr. Morrison asked surprised. “How did you arrive at Auto Mechanics and English?”
“I wanted something to back me up in case I ever got hurt fixing cars and trucks. I love reading and writing, so I continued with the English once I started. I never regretted it.”
“Except for Jude the Obscure.”
Jack made a slight hand movement of assent. “Yes, except for old Jude. Now, where would you like to start, as far as this upcoming mission? Do you have a team picked out to help you get started? I know you won’t be inoculating everyone by yourself.”
“They can only spare me two nurses, and a few soldiers for protection.”
“Once we get started, you’ll have all the help you need, if we can get what I have in mind for barter. As to protection, we’ll get what we need for first class surveillance, although it pains me to think you need it. You will of course have full authority over the clinic. If we can round up some Doctors and Nurses from the ar
ea, we can start something much more permanent for the community. Some doctors and nurses must have survived.”
“Most were brought in for the military,” Dr. Morrison replied. “There still might be a few who stayed out. I know there has to be great suffering everywhere out there, because we’ve not been able to hand out much in the way of medical supplies to anyone.”
“We were running out of everything but ammunition,” Jack affirmed. “Even three years ago, we started to strip, and stockpile medical supplies, and bandages from all the stores for the military. I hope they lasted to some extent, because we were taking a lot of casualties, as I am sure you are aware. We always knew we were on our own, except for drops of ammunition. Even when the army got in, and started to organize things, they were always short on medical supplies.”
“Where did you treat your wounded?”
“Anywhere we could,” Jack replied. “If God was merciful, they didn’t last long, if they were badly injured. Urban street warfare, after all this time, could not have left the buildings in very good shape. We stopped their trucks, and vehicles, with rocket and grenade launchers.”
“They began repairing things as they took back areas,” Dr. Morrison said. “We had industries in your area back on line as fast as power could be restored. Even with over a quarter of the population dead, the military still needed everything.”
“I hope some of my crew are still alive. We may get some help there.”
“Were you in charge of a unit, Jack?”
“No, we fought in groups of people, or survivors, who were mad enough to stop hiding and wanted to fight back. When people found out the commies weren’t interested in how they saved the rain forest, or who supported a Mao Tse Tung day, they got a glimpse of what they had lost. Add in the dead loved ones, an abundance of weapons and ammunition, their own imminent death, and you have a motivated guerrilla force. I was just one more pissed off citizen, looking for payback. My partners, Steve and Peter, who had made it through the virus too, found me. That’s how we started. I planned a few things, but I was too nuts to lead. How did you get here?”
“Actually, I was stationed here with a biohazard group, doing research, when this all broke out. We couldn’t find the cure fast enough to do much good. We had plenty of subjects to work on, but the answers came slow. Anyway, if we can find a decent hospital or clinic to get started in, we can do some good in a short amount of time. Do you want to get something to eat now?”
“I can eat anytime,” Jack replied. “What do they have on the menu?”
“I planned to make us something in my quarters. I have some wine and sourdough bread. I thought I’d throw together some spaghetti, and we’d continue our talk.”
Jack looked at her for a moment without saying anything. Long enough so Dr. Morrison felt obliged to speak again. “Or, if you would rather, we can eat down here.”
“Sorry Doc,” Jack apologized. “I didn’t mean to drift out like that on you. I know a simple yes or no would have been sufficient, but my heart was in my throat.”
Dr. Morrison looked at him strangely for a moment, and then reached over and took his left hand in hers across the tabletop. “Are you afraid of me Jack? I promise not to attack you up in my room.”
Jack grinned at her slowly, which he thought probably made him look like an emaciated concentration camp survivor. “I’m more afraid of me, Doc. Sure, I would love to see your quarters, and have dinner with you there.”
__
Dr. Morrison's quarters were a bit larger, with a full kitchen and dining area. Jack paused in the entranceway, and closed his eyes for a moment. Dr. Morrison turned to find Jack standing in her doorway, silently looking up with his eyes closed. She put a hand on his forearm.
“Are you okay?”
Jack smiled at her. “Doc, this whole place smells like you. It stunned me for a moment.”
“What makes you so goofy about smells?”
“Mostly a small place, and too little soap and water. Give me a glass of wine, and I’ll explain smells to you.”
Morrison motioned for Jack to follow her. “I can’t wait.”
She went into the kitchen, and opened a bottle of red wine from her refrigerator, as Jack sat down at the kitchen table. After pouring them both a glass, she sat next to him as he took his first sip.
“Okay, explain it to me, Jack. Do you have a smell fetish or what?”
Jack leaned back, closed his eyes again momentarily, collecting his thoughts. “A smell, Dr. Morrison, can sometimes tear reality away so completely, you must look around you for a moment, to remember your place in time. You stand clutching the fleeing memory with all of your soul, wishing for just a few more seconds alone with it. Your hands finally unclench, and you release it reluctantly, and sometimes sadly back into the past. All that remains, a vague whisper of something special, you can no longer quite grasp - but oh my sweet Jesus, what a ride while it lasted. For a time after, whether bitter or sweet, a smile comes to your face, and everything appears a bit brighter than before.”
Jack sipped again from his wine after he finished speaking, staring at the liquid with a smile. He felt a hand on his shoulder. When he glanced at the doctor, she leaned to a spot only inches away from his face. She kissed him for a soft, excruciatingly intense moment. Jack traced his fingers down through her hair to rest gently at her mouth. Only one thought streaked through Jack’s mind – ‘uh oh’.
Jack slid into his room noiselessly, after letting his eyes grow accustomed to the dark in the hall. Wolf, of course, waited for him just inside the door. Jack bent down, and patted Wolf on the head, and then began to move quietly into the room, only to be brought up short by a low growl. Jack turned and shook his finger at Wolf menacingly, and whispered fiercely, “don’t you do it, you dirty…”
Wolf let out a short bark, and then growling, he clamped down on Jack’s shoe and began yanking. Jack gave up all pretense of stealth, and began hopping to keep from landing on his back, and hitting his sore ribs.
“You no good rotten cur of a dog. Get your cat shit eating mouth…” Jack lost his balance, and dove for the couch. He managed to use it to keep from doing any more physical damage. He hung on to the arm of the couch, as Wolf yanked on his shoe, growling and shaking his head from side to side. Sarah and Jake had awakened at the first growl, and were cheering Wolf on, as Jack continued to curse the dog in three languages. Sarah came over, and put a hand on Wolf’s head. The dog released Jack. Wolf sat back on his haunches as if nothing had happened. Jack rested his head on the couch, and gathered his legs back under him.
“Jake, get me a gun.”
“You know I can’t do that Dad. It’s 2AM. You broke your curfew, young man.”
“That dog has pissed on his last table leg.” Jack turned over, and sat down with his back against the couch. He pointed his finger at the dog again. “Just so you know, you mangy, vomit eating slug, all dogs do not go to heaven. After I shoot you, you will wake up in the ninth level of hell, reserved for ungrateful curs, who bite their masters, where cats chew on their testicles for all eternity.”
Sarah and Jake enjoyed the comic vitriolic upbraiding of Wolf who simply grunted. “Where have you been all this time, Dad,” Sarah asked.
“Dr. Morrison and I have been planning a strategy for starting up the clinic.”Both kids began laughing again, with Jake holding out his hand to his sister. “You owe me five bucks. I told you he would play the innocent business meeting crapolla.”
“Never mind,” Jack said. “Nothing happened. Take that low-bred cur and get to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You want me to wrap your ribs up before you go to bed,” Sarah asked.
Jack’s features suddenly took on a haunted look. He had started to take his shirt off, and then stopped. “Uh no, honey. I’ll get it taken care of in the morning.”
“Are you sure you want to go to bed without re-wrapping them? I don’t mind.”
“I’ll be fine. Go to bed now.
I love you two meatballs.”
“Goodnight. Love you too,” Sarah said, as she walked by Jake, and gave him a puzzled look.
“See ya’ in the morning, Dad,” Jake said, and followed his sister.
Early the next morning, Sarah awakened as she recognized the sound of the shower going. She looked at the clock, and saw it was only 7AM. She looked over, and spotted Jake turned on his side, watching the bathroom door. He looked over at Sarah and smiled.
“Dad’s hiding something Sarah, otherwise he would have slept in a little, and let you wrap his ribs last night. What do you think it is?”
“Something to do with his ribs, I guess. Let’s ambush him when he begins to wrap himself up after his shower. I’ll throw on the lights, and you run over, and see what he’s hiding. Maybe he got a tattoo.”
“Yeah right, but good thinking. The showers stopped, so get ready.” Sarah motioned for Jake to pretend sleep, and she did the same.
Jack looked out the bathroom door to make sure Sarah and Jake were sleeping. He then tiptoed to his bed with his jeans on. He retrieved a clean wrap out of his bag. He began messaging the ointment Dr. Morrison had given him into his rib area. Just as he reached for the ace wrap, he heard Sarah call out to Jake, ‘hit the lights’, and in the next moment the room lit up.
Sarah ran over to him, as he reached for a towel to throw around his shoulders. She grabbed the towel before he could get it around himself. She quickly looked him over, trying at first to figure out what she should be looking for. Then she put a hand over her mouth, as she tried to choke back her laughter.
Jake ran over quickly. “What is it Sarah? I don’t… holy crap, Dad,” he exclaimed looking down at his father’s back. "Did you tangle with a werewolf on your date.”
Sarah laughed. “Wow, you must have really made Dr. Morrison mad during the business meeting. Maybe you should have worn your flak jacket.”
Both kids were laughing so hard now; the tears were streaming down their faces. Jack tried to bring order back, but gave up when they only laughed harder at his attempt to explain. Jack shrugged, and continued applying the ointment carefully to his rib area, ignoring what he could not control.
American Survival (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 5) Page 20